Allison's POV
I could feel his hands on my waist—burning through the emerald silk of my dress as if it were paper. As we moved across the dance floor, I tried not to wince at the pain shooting through my heels with each step.
These designer shoes weren't made for comfort, but I refused to show any sign of weakness. Not to him. Not to Lucian Storm, the Alpha who believed he still owned every part of me.
"I see you're wearing the dress," Lucian remarked, his voice deceptively casual as his thumb stroked almost imperceptibly against my side. "The one from Luminescence."
"It suits you," he added, eyes lingering just a second too long. "Beautiful was an understatement."
I blinked—just once. The compliment caught me off guard, but I refused to let it show.
Instead, I met his
